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The Art of War (Synopsis)
provided by Wayne Wirfs (retribution17@hotmail.com) The episode opens up with a view of Earth's outer-atmosphere. A cloaked Pirate ship opens its doors, an ExoFleet shuttle is preparing to leave. Kaz Takagi is seen managing the controls. "Lets go Kaz," Wolf Bronski says from the cargo bay in the shuttle. He's in his e-frame, sitting down in a chair, "We hanging out here like were going to sell tickets." An ExoFleet personnel, Van Owen, is sitting across from Bronski. Kaz asks if Van Owen is alright. "Tucked in good and tight," reports Van Owen. "Then lets go." The shuttle leaves the Pirate ship's docking bay and enters Earth's atmosphere. Moderate turbulence shakes the shuttle. Kaz tells Bronski and Van Owen to hang on. Bronski asks Van Owen what would happen if one of his crates went off. Van Owen says that if one went off they would never find a trace of them, and that's just a detonator. Bronski asks Kaz for a smooth landing. The shuttle drops below the turbulence and enters Alaskan airspace. It's early morning. Just as Kaz levels out he picks up three Neo sapien fighters on radar. Kaz tells Bronski to get ready. Bronski stands up and walks over to the rear drop doors and flies out, immediately taking out a Neo sapien fighter. Bronski tells Kaz to carry on; he can take care of the other two. But Bronski takes a hit and flies down, out of control. The Neo fighters are still in pursuit. Bronski takes another hit, and tells Kaz he's going down, hard. "Hang on, Bronski! You read me? I'm coming back for you!" Van Owen interjects, "No! We've got to deliver these explosives to Earth Resistance." "We're not delivering nothing without Wolf!" Van Owen now sits in the co-pilot seat. Kaz turns the shuttle around to go back after Bronski, who is still falling towards the Alaskan forest. He hits the ground on his left arm, grunts, and gets up. A high-speed stealth e-frame lands behind him. It takes aim to fire, but before it can get a shot off Kaz swoops down from behind and takes it out. Bronski looks up at the shuttle, "Way to go Kaz; you're the man." The last Neo fighter, a y-wing, takes a shot off at Kaz. Bronski, still on the ground, takes out the y-wing while it was busy trying to get the shuttle. But not before it got off a few mortal shots on the shuttle's engines. Smoke fills the cockpit. Bronski tells Kaz to evacuate, but Kaz says he can handle it. He heads toward a lake. The shuttle skids across the lake surface and crashes on the lake shore. Kaz and Van Owen unbuckle themselves. Kaz tells Van Owen to grab what he can carry, and both head back into the cargo bay. The shuttle is on fire, an explosion imminent. Kaz and Van Owen take a suitcase in each hand and evacuate the shuttle. They reach a safe distance and Bronski flies in behind them, asking Kaz if he's alright. Van Owen looks up from the suitcases and realizes he forgot the detonators. He runs back to the shuttle. Kaz tells Van Owen to stay back, but Van Owen doesn't listen. He runs into the shuttle and disappears. Second later the shuttle explodes. Kaz has a look of shock and horror on his face, as the blinding light penetrates the morning sky. The scene fades out. The sun has risen; Kaz and Bronski have just finished burying Van Owen. A raven flies overhead and caws. The shuttle wreckage is smoldering in the background. Kaz tells Van Owen goodbye. Bronski tells them that they still need to make contact with The Resistance. But Eve Hanley, leader of the Chicago Resistance, along with five other Resistance freedom fighters, tells Bronski and Kaz not to bother. The Resistance already saw the fireball caused by the shuttle's explosion, along with all the Neos in Alaska. She asks the two where the explosives expert is. Kaz tells Eve that Van Owen didn't make it. Bronski adds, "He was trying to get the detonator, but it got him first." Eve asks Kaz and Bronski if they knew Van Owen. Bronski says no. Eve says she kinda guessed that. J.J. Grimley, a Resistance member, is going through an explosives suitcase. Eve asks him if he can assemble it. He says the instructions are on the box. Eve then asks him if he can jury-rig a detonator. "How 'bout one keyed to barometric pressure? As soon as a storm front moves in-boom!" Eve responds, "We want it to go off when the Neos unload the train." J.J. looks disappointed, "Great a booby-trap. Anyone can do that," states J.J., apparently disheartened at such an easy job. Bronski walks in on the conversation. "So, what are we supposed to blow up?" asks Bronski. "Don't you know?" replies Eve. "We were just delivering a package. This was Van Owen's mission," responds Bronski. "Yeah, well it's your mission now," directs Eve. Bronski and Kaz look at each other with an "Oh, great" look. Switch to 75 kilometers out of Paris, France. A hover train, with one car, is making its way through a small countryside towards Paris. Livia's voice comes over the telecom. "Come in Transfer One. You will make an unscheduled stop in Paris to load an additional cargo for transfer to Phaeton City." The scene changes to show Paris. Hover trucks carrying large crates are waiting. Neosapien soldiers patrol the area. The pilot of the hover train responds to Livia, "I have not authorized for additional cargo. Phaeton's orders are to-" "I am commanding general of Earth! You will do as I say. You will stop your train in Paris!" The pilot sighs and acknowledges. It's now evening. Earth Resistance members are positioned on and around the elevated hover train line. J.J. and Peter Tanaka are placing a device between the hover train tracks. Eve tells Bronski when the hover train passes over the device it will deactivate the magnetic rail and bring the train to a stop. Bronski doesn't see why they have to stop the train, when they could just blow it up. Eve says they don't want to blow the train up, but the place it is going. Bronski then asks where it's going, and in the process offers Eve a ration bar. She passes. Eve says they don't know where the train is going. "I can see that this is going to be easy," Bronski says, as he takes a bite of his rejected ration bar. "Okay, look: We know the Neos are building a base in northern Canada. But security's so tight we can't figure out its location. A particle accelerator in France is being dismantled and sent to the new base by hover train. If we can get our explosives on that train-" "The Neos will take it right into the base," finishes Bronski. "See, you're smarter than you think." Eve asks Bronski if he has another ration bar. Bronski smiles at Eve, then hands her one. Picasso, a young Earth Resistance member, comes over Eve's exo-frame radio. She asks him what he's got. He reports that the train is coming, but it's longer than their spies reported. He says that if the extra cars are carrying Neos they will be "toast." "We'll just have to take that risk," replies Eve. Communication ends, and Picasso flies away from his position by the Bering Strait Bridge, the hover train in crossing. J.J. finishes screwing the device onto the magline as the hover train makes its way around a bend, maybe a kilometer away. J.J. jumps into his e-frame, Tanaka waiting for him. The two join the rest of the Resistance members about 20 meters away from the elevated magline. The hover train approaches the electronic disruptor, and J.J. holds a finger over the remote detonator. Just as the hover train's engine passes over the disruptor J.J. activates it. Electricity shoots out of the disruptor and the hover train comes to a screeching halt. The Resistance members swoop down on the train. A Neo soldier operating an anti-transport cannon that takes up a whole flat car behind the engine opens fire on the invaders. Two Neo soldiers also open fire. Voodoo in his customized field communications e-frame takes out the AT cannon and a guard. Eve ignores the remaining soldier and goes to the last car in the hover train. She rips a hole in the side of the car and steps inside, only to see Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker," and boxes labeled "Rembrant, Reno, Van Gogh, Degas, Matisse, " and many others. She names off a few, realizing that they cannot blow up the train. In Phaeton City Livia enters Phaeton's command chamber. Phaeton says he's been waiting for her return from Paris. Livia walks in, confused. When she walks in a couple of meters the door behind her closes. Two Neo lords appear out of the darkness and guard the door. Livia, frightened, asks what she has done. Phaeton tells her his hover train was attacked by the Terran Resistance. He stands up from his computer console. He is donned in his auto-mutation syndrome exo-frame, with a purple and yellow hooded caftan placed over it. He asks Livia why she delayed the train in Paris. Livia is taken back, seemingly surprised that Phaeton knew about the stop, "Ah, I had gathered the Terran's greatest art treasures, to adorn your city." Phaeton points a finger at Livia, "Art is a useless Terran past time." "Yes, but, but a study of Terran art may reveal the key to their creativity-their, their ability to perceive the world in new ways." "I said art is useless! Forces have been dispatched to retake the train. My particle accelerator will go to Slave Lake as planned. The Terran daubing will be destroyed." Back at the hover train Eve is explaining the situation to Bronski, J.J., Tanaka, Jinx Madison and Voodoo, who stand in front of her. Kaz is sitting off to the side, on the edge of the magline. "Look, we can't rig this train to blow. We can't take the chance-those other cars are full of art." Picasso's e-frame lands behind Eve, next to the other unoccupied e-frames. "So?" asks Bronski. "Those crates are full of all the stuff they used to lecture about in art class. We can't destroy them," defends Eve. "Hey, you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs." Picasso jumps out to support Bronski, "Art's about here and now. Once it's in a museum it's finished." Eve walks over to Picasso," The isn't graffiti! We're talking about some of the greatest creations in human history." "If we don't win this war there won't be anymore human history," comments Tanaka. "So boss, do I blow the train or what?" asks J.J., holding some wires. Solemnly Eve answers, "Um, I suppose we've got no choice." Tears form in her eyes, "Go ahead and-" "Why don't we steal it?" suggests Bronski, "We hide the bomb in the particle accelerator, and leave those cars behind. The Neos will send another engine and take them wherever they're going and BOOM!" Eve takes Bronski's suggestion, "J.J., go rig the explosives inside the particle accelerator. And hurry!" J.J turns away and runs back to the explosives. "We've only got a few minutes until the Neos come to get their train back. Okay, anyone know how to drive a hover train?" asks Eve. No one responds, aside from Bronski, "My dad used to drive a train. He showed me how-one day when I wasn't going to an art-history lecture." At the Bering Strait Bridge seven Neo e-frames, which includes one command, five high-speed stealth, and one amphibious assault, make their way across the Bering Strait. Back at the hover train J.J. is still installing the explosives in the particle accelerator. He's leaning into one of the large parts, feet off the ground. Eve leans inside the car to tell J.J. the Neos will be here any minute, in a hurry your butt up kind of way. "It takes how long it takes," J.J. tells her. Eve walks up behind him and squats down. The train suddenly shakes with a loud thud. Eve gets knocked off balance, as does J.J., who falls into the particle accelerator. "Bronski!" curses Eve. In the cockpit Bronski is figuring out the controls. "So that's the levitater," comments Bronski, "Okay, we're in business. This one uncouples the cars. That one's the throttle. And the break. Woo, woo! Ha, ha, I love this stuff!" Kaz asks Bronski if he is sure he knows what he is doing. "Are you kidding? I dreamed about this since I was seven." "If the Neos show up it'll be a nightmare. They'll blow us off the tracks." "Look Kaz," says Bronski, now turned around in his chair and facing Takagi, "You've cramped my style in here. You take my e-frame. But you better not put any dents in it." "No problem Bronski, I'll keep your seat warm." Eve climbs up into the cockpit. Bronski is looking at a map. Eve says there's an abandoned uranium mine about 100 miles off the line with an old track leading into it. They can hide the train there, if Bronski is sure he can drive the train. "Lets go!" Bronski says enthusiastically. Time elapses. The Neos have caught up with the abandoned hover train, only the particle accelerator car remains. Two Neo searchers report back to Sardus, the commanding officer. One says surprisingly that the particle accelerator is still intact. The other Neo says the Terrans took the engine and all the cars Livia added in Paris. Sardus tells them to guard the train until the new engine arrives. He tells the rest to follow him. Back on the stolen hover train Bronski is making old steam engine sounds, apparently having a great time. "Woo! Woo!" Eve asks him why he is making those noises; hover trains don't sound like that. Bronski says trains used to sound like that, a long time ago. "I guess I'm just an old-fashioned kind of guy," finishes Bronski. Eve laughs, "Yeah, I already guessed that." Jinx radios in, saying the Neos are coming. Eve runs out of the cockpit and jumps into her e-frame, which is now on the flat car that previously held the AT cannon. "Lets buy Bronski some time," orders Eve. They take off to intercept the Neos. One Neo is immediately destroyed. The explosion causes another e-frame to spin out of control. Sardus is thrown back. "Destroy the Terran e-frames," commands Sardus. A dogfight ensues. Eve tells everyone to slow the Neos down so Bronski can get away. Voodoo takes a hit in the leg and goes down. Tanaka swoops down to the ground to provide cover for his fallen comrade. In the process he takes out a Neo. Sardus informs his soldiers that the Terrans are trying to let the train escape. Takagi flies in behind Sardus, but takes a hit and loses control. His e-frame collides with a Neo's. Sardus tells his subordinates to forget the e-frames and go after the train. Takagi and Eve catch up with each other, Takagi having regained control of Bronski's e-frame. They pause for a moment and watch the Neos go after Bronski. "I hope we bought enough time for Bronski to get away," says Eve. Bronski has reached his destination and backs the hover train into the mine, just as the Neo patrol force passes by. Bronski watches them go. When they're out of sight he sighs and wipes his brow. Then he jumps out of the hover train to wait for the others to catch up. Three show up at first, flying in V-formation. "Bronski, you did it!" shouts Eve. Bronski is then seen unloading a large thin crate from a hover train car. Apparently in a hurry he carelessly throws it to the ground. Eve asks him what he is doing. "I don't know about art. But I do know that if the Neos don't find this train they are going to keep looking until they do," answers Bronski. "Do you have a plan?" asks Eve, as someone else starts unloading a "Vaggio" crate. "Yep, I'm going to send this train to the bottom of the Bering Strait, right in front of their eyes." In Fairbanks, Alaska the Neo patrol force descends on the war-torn city. Evidently the wounds of war have spread all the way up to the cold regions of northern North America. Livia is there, waiting to meet them. She has a portable telecom, and as soon as Sardus lands she holds it up in front of him. "Sardus to Phaeton. The Terrans have taken their pictures, but the particle accelerator is safe. It is only a matter of time before we locate the rest of the train and recapture it." Phaeton orders that as soon as the train is found it is to be destroyed. Bronski has turned the train around with the help of J.J. Bronski leans out the cockpit's window and tells Eve to wish him luck. Kaz steps in before Eve can respond and tells Bronski good luck. "I'm going with you," Eve tells Bronski. "No way! This is a one-man operation. No sense in anyone else risking it." "What are you planning to do, swim back?" Kaz looks at Eve, "Hanley, let me take your frame and go with him. Saving this guy is kind of a hobby with me." Bronski raises his eyebrows and looks at Eve, "Nah, I think the lady's got what it takes. Besides, the last time you borrowed an e-frame you got it all banged up. You better have mine fixed by the time we get back, " Bronski says, "Welcome aboard, Eve." Eve climbs into her e-frame and plugs in, while Bronski gets the train ready to leave. He pulls the throttle into reverse and the train slowly backs out of the mine. Eve's frame now rests on the flat car behind the engine. As soon as the train has backed out all the way Bronski pushes the throttle forward, and the train begins to make its way back to the Bering Strait. In the mine J.J. is repairing an e-frame's leg, possible Voodoo's. Picasso is opening up a crate to look at the contents. He looks at a few. "You oughta look at this stuff!" J.J. looks back at Picasso. "It ain't too bad. Nope, not bad at all," comments Picasso. Kaz is standing at the entrance to the mine, leaning on the left side of the opening. He talks to Bronski, who isn't there to listen. "Bronski, your dumb plans are going to get you someday. I only hope it's not today." As soon as he stops talking he hears e-frames. He jumps into the mine. Sardus and his patrol pass, now six strong. Back at the particle accelerator two Neos are still standing guard, waiting for the new engine. Bronski passes them. One quickly reports to Sardus, saying that the Terrans are taking the hover train back to the Bering Strait. Eve is standing beside Bronski, and hears the e-frames closing in, "We've got to jump, now!" Bronski disagrees, "Not yet. If we don't send this train to the bottom of the strait the Neos will know the art is gone and they'll track it down." "But you don't even care about the art!" "You do, that's good enough for me." "I don't know what you mean." "I think you do." A shot rings past the cockpit. The train is now on the Bering Strait Bridge, heading back to Asia. Bronski leans out the cockpit window with a blaster rifle, and shoots at his pursuers. "Take that you lousy Philistine!" He leans back into the cockpit and looks at Eve, "Hey, what is a Philistine anyway?" "Oh, you!" She leans over and kisses Bronski, "Take care of yourself Bronski, she says as she heads out to her e-frame. "Well, what do you know?" Bronski says as he leans out of the cockpit window again to return fire. He fires off a couple rounds and takes out an e-frame. Eve is now in her e-frame and is trying to shoot down Sardus, but with her on the flat car and him in the air she misses. Sardus shoots at Eve, a stationary target. Eve takes a hit in her right elbow. It goes dead. She uses her left arm, a rapid fire ExoGun, to take out another Neo. Sardus tells the others to fly ahead and blow up the bridge, "The Terrans cannot escape." Bronski tells Eve to get ready; he's about to scuttle the train. "Whatever you are going to do, do it quick!" she shouts back, her under heavy fire. "Hang on!" Bronski warns. Two Neo e-frames appear in front of the train. Bronski sees what is about to happen. "Uh, oh." The two Neos each fire off a subsonic strike rocket. Both hit the underside of the engine. The train is torn off the track and falls off the left side of the bridge. Bronski and Eve go down with it. Sardus lands where the train went off the track. Two subordinates wait for instructions. Sardus orders them to repair the track, and then escort the remaining half of the train to its destination. The train settles on the ocean floor, water is filling the cockpit. Bronski is trying to keep his head above water as long as possible. "I said I would swim back, but I was only jokin'." Eve, still in her watertight e-frame, breaks open the cockpit and pulls the motionless Bronski free from the wreckage. She takes him in her arms and flies out of the frigid water. She lands on a bridge support column. She sets down Bronski, who starts to cough and shiver. "Thanks, Eve." "Don't you ever scare me like that again, Bronski!" "You mean there's going to be a next time." At the particle accelerator the new engine has arrived and the train proceeds to Slave Lake, the bomb still on board. Back at the previously abandoned, but now occupied mine Picasso and the others are still looking at the priceless art. Kaz is still at the entrance, waiting for Bronski and Eve to return. He sees the new train with Neo escorts pass by. "Where are you, Bronski?" asks Kaz, "You've always come back." Eve comes in over the mine, Bronski holding onto her e-frame. She lands a short distance away from the mine's opening. Kaz rushes towards them. "Bronski, you're alive!" Bronski takes off a boot and pours out some water, "Piece of cake. Got my e-frame fixed yet, kid?" "He, he. Sure, old man." Eve walks over and embraces Bronski, "Thank you," she says, and kisses Bronski for the second time. Behind them the Alaskan Northern Lights illuminate the sky. Kaz looks at them and points, "Look at that! It's beautiful." Still looking at Eve, Bronski says, "Yeah, kid, it sure is." The hover train arrives at Great Slave Lake. It heads towards an island with steep cliffs. The cliffs part, revealing a secret entrance. The train enters and the doors immediately close. Time passes and morning comes. A huge explosion rips through the ground, and an enormous fountain of water erupts next to the island. Category:Synopses